Sterling Shepard Proposed to Chanel Iman on Her Birthday: "It Was So Special and Unexpected!" (EXCLUSIVE)

We are just elated for model Chanel Iman and NFL star Sterling Shepard, after they announced in December that they are engaged — and the bride-to-be exclusively opened up to Life & Style about the proposal. The couple took to social media to confirm the exciting news after Sterling — the New York Giants' wide receiver — popped the question.

"It was definitely a magical night and it's a night I will remember for the rest of my life. It was so special. It was so unexpected," Chanel gushed. "It was on my birthday at the place where we got our very first apartment together in New Jersey on the rooftop. He proposed to me there then surprised me with a surprise party right after we got engaged. He flew my family in and his family in, so it was a very special engagement. It was so perfect. That was the best birthday I've ever had, to be honest." She also added they are hoping to walk down the aisle "sometime in 2018."

And that's not all! Fans can totally expect to see these two with an adorable brood some day. "We're really just trying to enjoy our time together and our engagement and our marriage. Of course, we look forward to that, but one thing at a time," Chanel shared when asked about baby plans.

Life & Style spoke with Chanel last month on behalf of NFL’s New Era Cold Weather Collection at Macy’s Herald Square location in NYC. According to a press release, "New Era has been the official cap of the NFL since 2012. Their cold weather collection consists of the Sport Knit and TD Knit which come in a variety of colors. The Sport Knit contains an acrylic yarn exterior featuring a fleece lining with WinterEra™ technology, along with the official NFL logo executed in LiquidChrome™. The TD Knit has custom engineered yarn precisely knitted for a formfitting style with unique detail. It also has the official NFL logo in LiquidChrome™."